Acorn to shut down by April 1st

[Caliga]

 

Acorn to Shut All Its Offices by April 1
By IAN URBINA
Published: March 22, 2010

The community organizing group Acorn announced Monday that it would close all its remaining state affiliates and field offices by April 1.

The organization is "developing a plan to resolve all outstanding debts, obligations and other issues," said a statement released by the group.

Acorn has been battered by criticism from the right and has lost federal money and private donations since a video sting was publicized last fall. Acorn employees were shown in the videos advising two young conservative activists — posing as a pimp and a prostitute — how to conceal their criminal activities.

In reaction to the videos, the Census Bureau ended its partnership with the organization for this year's census, the Internal Revenue Service dropped the group from its Voluntary Income Tax Assistance program, and Congress voted to cut off all grants to the organization.

In recent years, the group has also been dogged by mismanagement and criticism — mostly from conservatives — for its handling of voter registration drives.

Last month, the Brooklyn district attorney's office completed an investigation of the Acorn employees there who appeared in the video and concluded that they had not taken part in any criminality.

"For Acorn as a national organization, our vindication on the facts doesn't necessarily pay the bills," Bertha Lewis, the chief executive of Acorn, said in a statement.

While the videos gave the impression that one of the two activists, James E. O'Keefe III, was dressed as a pimp when he entered the offices, later inspection seemed to indicate that he had manipulated that part of the footage and showed no evidence that he wore the costume when talking to Acorn workers.

The transcript of several stings, however, indicate that Mr. O'Keefe clearly presented himself as a pimp and that Acorn workers in some offices told him how to hide prostitution activities from the authorities.

[Neil]

Well, they accomplished their goal already.

[Eddie Teach]

Does this mean no more Central American whorehouses? 

[Caliga]

Does this mean no more Central American whorehouses? 

I'm afraid so, sir. 

[Josquius]

I thought this was about the computer company, it having somehow continued to exist to today officially without myk nowing

[derspiess]

I know they'll re-launch under a different name, but

[Jaron]

I know they'll re-launch under a different name, but

wtf?  racist.

[derspiess]

Okay, so how am I raciss on this one, Chancho?